Electric vehicle having drivetrain and suspension

Abstract

An electric vehicle includes a vehicle body frame; an electric motor; a swing arm pivotally supporting a rear wheel at a rear end thereof; a drive shaft for transmitting the driving force of the electric motor to the wheel; and a suspension connecting the vehicle body frame and the swing arm together. The electric motor is set in a longitudinal layout in which a rotating drive shaft is disposed in a front-rear direction of the vehicle; and is offset from a center to either of left and right sides in a vehicle width direction. The suspension is disposed under the electric motor and the drive shaft, and on the inner sides of the electric motor and the drive shaft in the vehicle width direction, and overlapping the positions of the electric motor and the drive shaft in the front-rear direction.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-244335, filed Oct. 29, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle.

[0003] Among vehicles having an electric motor for generating a travel driving force, some vehicles include a structure in which: a swing arm supporting a rear wheel is configured by a power unit including the electric motor; and a rear wheel suspension is disposed between the swing arm and a vehicle body frame above the swing arm as shown by Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 11-79054.

[0004] The structure in which the rear wheel suspension is disposed between the swing arm and the vehicle body frame above the swing arm as described above has a problem in that a space above the swing arm cannot be used effectively.

[0005] A feature of the disclosed electric vehicle is to provide an...

Examples

first embodiment

[0028]an electric vehicle is illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4.

[0029]The first embodiment of the electric vehicle is an electric motorcycle, and includes a vehicle body frame 11 forming the framework of the vehicle body as shown in FIG. 1. A steering shaft 14 provided to a stem 13 is rotatably pivotally supported by a head pipe 12 at the front end of the vehicle body frame 11. In addition, paired left and right front forks 15 are attached to the stem 13. A front wheel 16 is pivotally supported by the lower end portions of the respective front forks 15, and a handlebar 17 is attached to an upper portion on the stem 13. With this configuration, the front wheel 16 is steerable through manipulation of the handlebar 17.

[0030]In addition, the vehicle body frame 11 includes: paired left and right upper frames (main frames) 20 extending rearward, respectively, from the left and right of the upper portion of the aforementioned head pipe 12 on an upper side; and paired left and right lower fram...

second embodiment

[0065]The electric vehicle of the second embodiment as described above makes it possible to build the electric motors 41 and the swing arm 34 in a single unit, and thereby to improve the assembly workability, because the electric motors 41 swing integrally with the swing arm 34.

[0066]Note that, although the first and second embodiments have been described citing the case where the two electric motors 41 are provided, the invention can be applied to a case where only one electric motor 41 is provided.

[0067]In addition, although the first and second embodiments have been described citing the electric motorcycle, the invention can be applied to things such as an electric four-wheeled vehicle of a saddle riding type in which two rear wheels are supported by a swing arm.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-244335, filed Oct. 29, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle.

[0003] Among vehicles having an electric motor for generating a travel driving force, some vehicles include a structure in which: a swing arm supporting a rear wheel is configured by a power unit including the electric motor; and a rear wheel suspension is disposed between the swing arm and a vehicle body frame above the swing arm as shown by Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 11-79054.

[0004] The structure in which the rear wheel suspension is disposed between the swing arm and the vehicle body frame above the swing arm as described above has a problem in that a space above the swing arm cannot be used effectively.

[0005] A feature of the disclosed electric vehicle is to provide an...

Examples

first embodiment

[0028]an electric vehicle is illustrated in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4.

[0029]The first embodiment of the electric vehicle is an electric motorcycle, and includes a vehicle body frame 11 forming the framework of the vehicle body as shown in FIG. 1. A steering shaft 14 provided to a stem 13 is rotatably pivotally supported by a head pipe 12 at the front end of the vehicle body frame 11. In addition, paired left and right front forks 15 are attached to the stem 13. A front wheel 16 is pivotally supported by the lower end portions of the respective front forks 15, and a handlebar 17 is attached to an upper portion on the stem 13. With this configuration, the front wheel 16 is steerable through manipulation of the handlebar 17.

[0030]In addition, the vehicle body frame 11 includes: paired left and right upper frames (main frames) 20 extending rearward, respectively, from the left and right of the upper portion of the aforementioned head pipe 12 on an upper side; and paired left and right lower fram...

second embodiment

[0065]The electric vehicle of the second embodiment as described above makes it possible to build the electric motors 41 and the swing arm 34 in a single unit, and thereby to improve the assembly workability, because the electric motors 41 swing integrally with the swing arm 34.

[0066]Note that, although the first and second embodiments have been described citing the case where the two electric motors 41 are provided, the invention can be applied to a case where only one electric motor 41 is provided.

[0067]In addition, although the first and second embodiments have been described citing the electric motorcycle, the invention can be applied to things such as an electric four-wheeled vehicle of a saddle riding type in which two rear wheels are supported by a swing arm.

Images